Bad news fatigue

There are several reasons I can go for a long time without watching local news. And once you get the car wrecks and shirtless criminal stories out of the way, the reason may be one that is affecting a lot of viewers.

It's called "bad news fatigue." You've heard of "Clinton fatigue" and "Bush fatigue" in politics. The same applies to the stories you put in your newscast. If you're doing the same doom and gloom every single day, those reruns of Seinfeld and Raymond on TBS look awfully inviting.

It reminds me of that old joke in which one man is sitting on the ground against a wall, continuously banging his head against it. Another guy asks,"Why do you keep doing that?" And he answers, "Because it feels so good when I stop."

In loading up your newscasts with bad and/or depressing news, you are, in effect, banging the viewers heads against the wall. And they're gonna feel much better when they stop watching your station and switch over to watch a sitcom.

Yes, the economy is a mess. (Frankly, most of the media's doing, but that's besides the point.) This industry tends to beat a dead horse down to a molecular level. And if viewers know that every single day they're going to get the same depressing stories, they eventually won't come back at all. And if you let the current state of the broadcast industry filter through into your presentation, you're going to drive a stake into its heart.

There are tons of positive stories out there... you just have to look for them. The scanner is a crutch, the bad economy is a crutch. Stop taking the easy way out and find the stories that show the other side. Lots of people are making good money off the recession. Plenty of towns don't have a bunch of foreclosure signs. Some businesses are booming.

Find the meaningful stories, and viewers will have a reason to watch. No one wants to feel depressed for thirty minutes when they have another choice.